Has anybody chosen between HE6 and HE500? If you had, can you please tell me how you chose?

I have both HE6 and HE500 in my hands right now. I am a one-headphone person and I only want to have one. But they are so close and HE6 is better by quality, HE500 is better by sound signature. It is really hard.

PS: Choosing HE6 and darken the rig is impossible because my rig is almost the darkest.

I'm sorry. But IMHO the HE-6 is far better in every way than the HE-500. However, you must amp it correct. Like captoch is doing with his HE-500s. If you put the HE-6 on a speaker amp you'll see. It's an headphone experience you must have. I have not heard many STAX headphones except at a few meet. The HE-6s when amp properly rivals some Stax headphones. Please try it out then come back with your impressions.

I'm sorry. But IMHO the HE-6 is far better in every way than the HE-500. However, you must amp it correct. Like captoch is doing with his HE-500s. If you put the HE-6 on a speaker amp you'll see. It's an headphone experience you must have. I have not heard many STAX headphones except at a few meet. The HE-6s when amp properly rivals some Stax headphones. Please try it out then come back with your impressions.

I think the compelling argument for the HE-500s over the HE-6s and STAX is the bang for your buck factor. The HE-500s provide world class sound for $699 and can be run perfectly on conventional amps under $200.

I think the compelling argument for the HE-500s over the HE-6s and STAX is the bang for your buck factor. The HE-500s provide world class sound for $699 and can be run perfectly on conventional amps under $200.

I think the compelling argument for the HE-500s over the HE-6s and STAX is the bang for your buck factor. The HE-500s provide world class sound for $699 and can be run perfectly on conventional amps under $200.

Then you're exaggerating. 10% is a pretty big boost in Summit-fi where the law of diminishing returns kicked in ages ago.

Regardless, "better" is subjective anyway. What isn't subjective is that the HE-6s are considerably more expensive, have ridiculous power requirements and won't out-perform the HE-500s outside of a few very specific and quite possibly costly situations.

But if price is no object, why settle with just the HE-6s when you could have the SR-009s? We've already established the HE-500s are better value and have a niche here in Summit-fi, but for all the money and effort taken to get the HE-6s sounding as good as you do, you may as well get an SR-009 (or maybe even an Omega).

But if price is no object, why settle with just the HE-6s when you could have the SR-009s? We've already established the HE-500s are better value and have a niche here in Summit-fi, but for all the money and effort taken to get the HE-6s sounding as good as you do, you may as well get an SR-009 (or maybe even an Omega).

Huh? Man I paid $250 each for my Dual mono blocks and I got my HE-6 used for $850. So yes - price is an object for me. I have no Idea where you got that from? I never said price is no object for me. I said for some people.. That does not include me. If that was the case - I would be STAX all the way baby..

for 899 you can get the stax lambda combo as well stax isn't just about omega you know

Yep :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by .Sup

Do you find your Stax better than HE-500?

Absolutely!

And I must disagree with Darkbeat. HE-500 are world class headphones but I don't think they're on the same league with the Stax. I have not heard the current production of Lambda series but mine are the limited edition of SR-404 and they beat the HE-500 in every way possible, including the bass. Sure you don't get a jaw shaking bass out of them but you get a quality bass and once you hear the clarity and the instrument separation you can't go back to HE-500. I held onto both headphones for several weeks. I listened to my SR-404LE for several days and then went back to HE-500 and they sounded like crap.. I couldn't believe my ears. And I was thinking that HE-500 were the last stop for me as I've never wanted to deal with Stax systems as the myth says that they are too expensive. Not really...

This is all too subjective but I am pretty sure SR-007 or SR-009 are leagues above HE-500 but I cannot say that for sure as I have never heard them. Hopefully next month.

HE-6 vs. HE-500. I owned both and drove both out of the Lyr and I preferred the HE-500 and I can testify to the fact that HE-6 are basically speakers and should be driven out of designed for speakers or EF-6. Again I am guessing that a HE-6 driven from a speaker amp should excel the HE-500 driven from a headphone amp. But that doesn't mean one is better than the other, it all comes to down to personal preference.